My first Train

Here is the prototype of the train that I have been discussing in the design process.  The good news about the prototype is that it can be stained and used.  If I was going to make an actual one it would be out of maple and walnut.  However this would be very cost prohibitive for a prototype.  This train is made out of poplar and oak dowels.  There are other woods used  because they are purchased parts.
It was a fun little design project. From start to finish it took about 8 weeks.  This includes drawing and building times.
This is the complete train.  Six cars and each car is about 9 inches long.  In my humble opinion it looks great.  In designing this train, I wanted something durable and age appropriate for the 3-8 year old range.  I also wanted to use only basic tools that a toy maker should have (scroll say, table saw, small router, drill press, and belt sander). The only tools I used in addition to the list was a miter saw and band saw.  Both I could have used other tools but for ease I used the others.  It passes the durability test.  My kids used some of the cars as a riding toy. It is big enough for the kids to put things in it and push it a long. 

 

The Locomotive 

The great thing about this engine is that I did not need to buy a lathe for this project.  The bad thing is that I was not able to buy a lathe for this project.  The boiler is a turned part that was provided to me from Lowe's at a reasonable price.  My second option was to buy a wood rolling pin and cut it to size.  It just would not have looked as good.  Hardest part of the locomotive was proportions.  I wanted to make it the biggest car.  but it did not look right until it was reduced in length.  The cabin was made slightly larger.  I tried putting bigger wheels on it and that didn't work.  So this is the final design.  The roof and the cow catcher are the only parts that I used the band saw on.

Sorry for the green in the picture.  It is not that green in the person.  It is the light and poplar.

The Tinder Car

This was a relatively easy car.  There is not anything fancy about it

The Box Car

This was a fun little car to build.  There really isn't anything fancy about it.  The door is big enough to fit things through and the top has a roof to put things on top.  This car is where I realized I should have offset the sides.  If I made the middle section and top different sizes, the middle would not have looked so crooked.

Cage Car

I thought this was going to be an easy car to assemble.  I drilled everything together so the holes would line up and all the dowels were cut to the same size.  The problem was the dowels are a tight fit and not perfectly straight.  It took a little bit of work but it came together.  Next I will round over the ends of the dowels so the go in easier. It is an easy process of chucking the dowel in a drill and running the end at an angle on sandpaper.

Flat Bed Car

Another pretty basic car.  It takes the roof from the box car and puts it on a chassis. 

Caboose

No matter how hard I tried to make this the smallest car it wanted to be the same size as the others.  The main feature I wanted on this car was the balcony.  It also proved to be the most troublesome.  I ended up changing  the balcony in the final drawings so the two corner posts do not go to the roof.  When trying to assemble the balcony I broke it twice.  I ended up drilling the thru holes larger then the dowel so that I was not pushing it through. That solved the problem but it was still a pain to remake parts.

Here are a couple of pictures of some of the details on the train.

Top roof detail of the cage car and caboose

Decoration around the wheels

I drilled through the floor to set the dowels.  It made it easier to assemble.

Fun little design.  It is a little bigger than I thought. Each car is about 9" in length.  Pretty much all the joints are re-enforced with dowels.  I was surprised of how much dowel I used.  It makes for a very strong toy.

Design Process Part Three

Now is the time where the decision is made to make it or throw it out.  The questions that I answer are relatively basic:

• Do I want to make it?  Putting it all on paper is this something that I want to make or has it lost its luster or drive?
• Can I make it?  Is the design too complicated to make, are the parts too dangerous to make or there are too many things that I do not know how to do?  This is just a question of safety and capability.
• Is it going to fill its purpose?  I really don't want to make something that will just get by for a short season.  I do not want a piece of furniture or toy that will only be temporary or break after a little bit of use.

If the project is still ago then print out drawings and buy lumber to make prototypes or if confident just make it.  I like to have space on my drawings to make notes and changes as they come up.  If I am prototyping I work in poplar and oak.  These are less expensive woods and easy to work.  It also has the contrast that to show with difference between species.  This gives and over all look of a project and if contrast adds or detracts from the project.  These woods are also less expensive to make mistakes on.
Now it is making the parts and assembling.  Take notes on the drawings of things that come up, either wrong dimensions or changes that would make the project look better.  For example, the train cars looked better with the sides inset on the floor  than flush.

This basically is to test the fit of the parts and how everything comes together.  This process identifies the potential parts that maybe difficult to assemble or impossible to assemble.  The caboose and cage car were interesting cars to build. Even though the holes lined up it was still a pain to get all the dowels to line up and in the holes.  It made it easier to round the tops of the dowels to guide into the holes.  The caboose I thought could put in the put the longer dowels in after I put in the balcony.  I ended up breaking the balcony.  So I changed the drawing so the dowels were all the same length.
Once the prototypes is done make it how it was designed.

The Design Process Part Two

At this point it should be nice to have the concept project on paper.  My mind will not sleep if there is a design stuck there until I have it on paper.  This way I know that I will not forget it.  Just a final note on sketches, I write notes on the sketches,  These notes could point out design elements that I feel are important, questions or concerns I have about assembly, things that I do not have quite figured out, or materials needed for the project.
At this point I take my time and put the sketches into a 3D modeling system.  I am lucky enough to be able to use Inventor through my work.  The other popular modeling systems that cost money are Solid Works and Pro E.  The industry standard for the garage shops is Sketch- up.  It is a free drawing package from Google.  There are others that can be found on the internet.  When I first started I drew everything out by hand and to scale.  It was a fun little practice but if I ever made a mistake it was a lot of erasing.
The reason for putting it into a modeling program (or do a scale drawing) is to look at proportions and see how parts fit together.  In the project that I am working on now, I do not really like the caboose.  It looks big but it fits in the design of everything so I am leaving it the way it is.  The locomotive was a different story.  I wanted to be the biggest part of the train but the boiler (which is a purchased furniture foot) was too small.  No matter how I tried to make it bigger it just did not look right.  The wheels didn't look right  and the cabin looked funny.  My final design is a lot smaller but looks good in the series. If I skipped the step of making the scale drawing, I would have been very disappointed and wasted a lot of wood. 
The second reason to make scale drawings is too make prints of the parts.  It is a lot easier to make something after knowing it will all fit together.  Individual part drawings allows me to check off parts when they are cut and it is also easier to figure out what is needed for the project.
The other neat thing about putting a project in 3D space is seeing how it is all going to be put together.  This is where all the problems seem to arise and then get figured out.  Some of the common things that I figure out in the model are:

• Wheel spacing.  The important part of making a wheeled toy is that all wheels work.  They can be all off center but they all need to roll.  From a personal point, I want them all to touch the floor at the same time.
• How parts come together.  There are a ton of different ways of joining parts together.  This is where I decide what joint is going to best for assembly and hide mistakes.  It also helps formulate how the procedure on what parts to make first, when the sanding needs to be done and should I pre-finish parts.
• Proportions as noted above.
• This is also where I figure out how I am going to make each part.  I try to make the parts how I would machine them.  Take the cow catcher on the train, for instance.  I started with a larger block of wood.  First cut the back angle.  Then I drew out and cut the triangle portion on the front.  Through the modeling process I am figuring out how to process the parts.
• The other question that I answer is, can I make this safely?  If I am going to stop a project or go back to the drawing board it will be here.  

This model does not have to be perfect with everything detailed out. I tend to leave of hardware and profiles.  After I am satisfied with the model I will then make prints of each part and put together a materials list.  The drawings will have a room on them to take notes for when the project is going to be put together.  This will lead into the next post and probably the last in this series.

The Design Process

I do not know how many posts this is going to be or if this is going to be a consecutive series or random bunch of posts.  I am starting to do my own line of toys.  It is not that I have completed all that I want to do in my books or cannot find anything on the internet.  There is just a sense of great accomplishment I feel when the design is all mine.  Designing is something that I have always enjoyed.  This is probably a reason I am in the R&D department at work.  I am hoping to convey some of the ideas and patterns that I use when I am working on a design project.
One of the first rules in the beginning stages of design is that everything is possible.  It is far too easy to think of an idea and dismiss it without a second thought because there is some flaw in it.  I want to create toy plans that uses standard dimensioned lumber (thickness) and people can make with basic power tools (table saw,drill press, table router, and either a band saw or scroll saw).  This is my first design in this endeavor:

One huge problem, I do not have a lathe.  I cannot make the broiler on the engine.  Not a problem, the broiler is a purchased leg that I found at Lowe's.  The entire design of the engine is based around that piece.  Another thing that could have worked is a rolling pin. This was actually my first idea.
A great place to get ideas is look around, never limit the idea at this stage.  Magazines and window shopping are great ways to get ideas.  Think of ways to do things better.  The concept of the train came from a toy circus train.  Different parts of train come from different trains that I have made in the past.  For example, the caboose has elements general train, the box car is similar to the puzzle train.  Each of them have my own twist to them.  The top decoration is my design along with the decoration by the wheels.  The cage car is something I did.  I want the exposed dowel look to be more of my signature look.  The picture comes from a rendering done in a 3D modeling system.  That is going to be detailed in another post.
Another thing to remember is not to toss out an idea because there is "no possible way" it can be made, parts do not exist, there is no way it can be assembled, etc.  At this stage anything can happen.  Designs may have to change or be redesigned to over come these obstacles, but that is not in this stage of design.
Another good thing to have around is a sketch book.  This may be a simple spiral bound with blank sheets in it or just plan printer paper.  I like the spiral bound because I can keep the drawings some what organized and I don't loose them.  The sketch book is to put the ideas on paper.  This is by no means a final design.  It is a way to get the ideas out of the mind and on a tangible document.  This is where a lot of the problems come out and are solved.  Add notes and concerns to the sketches.  This is not the place to solve all problems.  For instance, I really did not know how I was going to put the bars in the cage car and caboose.  The sketch did not solve the problem, it was something that I have to figure out on my own.  I have a plan, but not sure it is going to work out.  The down side of this necessary step is that it does not put parts into perspective.  At this point I get excited about the project and  want to get right into it.  Unfortunately this would be a mistake.  Proportions are important in a project. 
I will end on this side note.  I was listening to a podcast where they made the statement that they really do not measure their parts.  They determine the critical dimensions and base everything else off of these dimensions.  I heard that and thought it was absurd. Come to realize they are more right than I thought. For example, my last truck.  My key dimension was the length and width of the chassis. The cab was a little long and I planed the wood down a little too much for the bucket.  This was never a show stopper because I knew how the other parts related to each other.  Some parts had to grow and some had to shrink.  It is the relationship of the parts that is important.

My bathrooms

The company I work for is launching a new line at one of the big home improvement stores and just did their production pilot.  For the most part it went really well, however we could not take the pilot samples and put them into inventory.  Largely because we machined the parts on the unfinished side of the plywood.  A mistake that will not happen again.  This line is kind of a step forward for us.  The carcass is made out of plywood and the features are a little more decorative then we normally do.  I am actually really please how this line turned out and excited to see what it is capable of doing in the market place.  So what happened to all the samples, they were sold to employees for a bargain price.  I picked up enough to do two of the bathrooms.  So here are the before pictures: 

Upstairs

  Downstairs

 Just because it was funny when he walked into the bathroom and got this perplexed look on his face and asked "Where did it go, daddy?"

I knew there would be challenges but not ones I was expecting.  The demo was pretty straight forward. The hardest part was getting the tops out of the bathroom.  A hammer made that job a lot easier.  The second challenge was the connections from the wall to the faucet.  I replaced all the hoses because honestly the solid metal ones are prone to cracking while out of the house.  I had a 1/2" compression fitting out of the wall and a 1/2" fitting to the faucet.  I purchased the 1/2x1/2 flip valve and the 1/2x1/2 hoses to redo the plumbing.  I guess "flip" means the the threads are smaller than 1/2" so my hoses did not fit and I had to go back to the store for new hoses.  The good news is that I had not installed the sinks yet so changing was not a big issue.
Next major issue was the P-trap.  Same size cabinet in should mean the same plumbing in.  Nope. The cabinets I put in are 4" taller than the original.  I thought just a simple extension. Nope. The contractors who put in the plumbing put in the bathtub plumbing and everything was glued in except the P-trap.  So I re-plumbed everything.  In hind sight, I should have plumbed it correctly rather than using the bathtub fixtures again.  It all works and no leaks.
I am actually disappointed that I could not do the master bathroom also.  They did not pilot any units in the profile I wanted for the upstairs bathroom.  The extra 4" in height makes a huge difference.  My first install of a bathroom was not too bad.  I was surprised how easy the cabinets went in.  All I have to do now is install hardware and touch up.

 I still need to get the mirror up in the down stairs bathroom.

Front End Loader

This is the next piece of equipment that is in the Wood Magazine construction series.  I think that I am getting better at these.  They are not as hard as they use to be but they still provide a challenge.  It is all made out of walnut and maple.  Wood magazine is getting more into the different thickness board.  It is getting more tedious gluing up several pieces for a small piece.  There tends to be a lot of waste so that the part can be handled safely.  They still look great and love the design.

 The hardest part of the entire project was sticking this nut on a threaded rod.  I should have welded together when I had the chance.  It is going to come off the first time it is played with.

The other big issue I had with this piece is the wheels.  I just ordered a bunch of 2" wheels because I was running out and these are 2 3/4".  This is not a standard size I purchase so I had to go to Rockler to pick up these wheels.  I guess it was better than paying huge shipping rates for eight wheels but they were still expensive.
I did make a couple of modifications to the plans.  I have a problem with the skip loader breaking where the arms meet the shovel.  This is because the holes, thin board and the grain make this joint very weak.  This is joint is used a lot and has a lot of stress put on it. So I put a cross member and drilled through the length of the cross member for the threaded rod.  This took out the weak grain and the thin board issue.  I also did it on the back side of the arm for the same reason.  I would probably put in an axle peg instead of the threaded rod in area that was just to tight to screw on the acorn nut.
Looking at the pictures I realized that I forgot to put on the roof to the cab.  Something to do this weekend.
Just as a tidbit of worthless information.  This construction set does not go outside; I have worked too hard on it and it is too nice.  I felt bad because even though the set gets played with, carpet and wood flooring just is not the same as dirt.  About a month ago I was planing a bunch of cherry and accumulated a pretty big pile of shavings.  The kids scooped and plowed that pile throughout the garage and had a blast.  I now have a decent size container of shavings so that they can continue to play in when I dump it out.  A couple words of caution: It will get into the house and the shop will be a mess.  It is well worth the trouble.

Working Cleaning Cart

So a while back my wife told me that see wanted a cleaning cart for the kids.  She gave me a couple of pictures to give me inspiration and that was it.  Maybe she thought this would make the kids want to clean.  Of course a traditional cart would not do.  I was walking through a store and one of the Zamboni things was cleaning the floor.  There was the inspiration: I can make it vacuum!  So here is the design.  I am finalizing the drawings for this project now.  The drawings are not going to include the electrical.  I am not going to even pretend that I have any idea of electricity and how to wire this cart up.  I asked a few people and I think it is safe.  At least I know it is grounded.

Basic thought process for this project was put a small shop vacuum on a  platform and use the attachments to turn it into a rolling floor vacuum for kids to push.  I realized there really was not a good attachment for a small shop vacuum for the floor so I designed one.  Thank goodness for the CNC router made it very easy and I could stick to .01" tolerance.  I could have done this by hand but the design would have been simpler and I don't know if the hose would be able to be removed.

Then I figured I might as well have an on/off switch for the vacuum on the cart.  Then the dilemma was if I cut the vacuum cord it would be useless off the cart.  So I needed to install a plug.  This actually gives the cart a little more power because now I can plug another appliance in.

I made sure it had big back wheels.  They are 8" lawn mower wheels.  the front wheels are 2" swivel casters.  I also added a broom and mop holder.

I thought about putting rollers on the vacuum head.  I changed that and put adjustment screws on it.  I am glad I went this route.  I can adjust the head to close to the ground for hardwood floors.  We tried on carpet but it did not work as well.

I did not want to ruin an extension cord so there is a plug installed in the cart to plug an extension cord into.  If I really wanted to I can have a really long cord on this cart.  I was not impressed with the 6' cord that comes on the vacuum.

I know the question that everyone is asking: Does it work? Well....

The suction is not great but it will pick up about  10" of the 15" span.  It rolls and the kids enjoy it.  There are still a couple of things that I would like to do to it.  I have to put the hangers on the back for other accessories.  I probably would have added more buckets.  This allows the kids a place to sort and put their toys in.

Fun project.  Good prototype.  Now what is my next design project?  I don't know but this is what I enjoy.